Union Station on faster track

After more than two decades of fits and starts, a plan to turn Springfield's long-dormant Union Station into a regional transportation hub appears to be on the right track, thanks to local, state and federal officials who have kept chugging along to make it happen.

Last week, the Springfield Redevelopment Authority and the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority announced an agreement to make the $65.2-million plan a joint project. The two authorities will now ask the state Legislature to create a third public authority to redevelop and run Union Station.

Since the city owns the property and the transit authority is eligible for federal funds, PVTA administrator Mary MacInnes said the partnership is the best way to restart a project that had been delayed in the past by funding challenges and a lawsuit by the building's former owner.

While scaled back from once-grandiose plans to integrate a luxury hotel and an IMAX theater into the design of the station, the new plan is grounded in 21st century reality - one in which public transportation is poised for a renaissance.

MacInnes, for instance, predicted that by the time Union Station renovations are completed in 2012, there will be commuter rail service from Vermont and from Connecticut.

The plan calls for the restoration of the terminal building including 33,000-square-feet of space for PVTA, Amtrak, commuter rail and intercity bus operations; 55,000-square feet for transit-related office space; and 35,000-square-feet of commercial space and 70,000-square-feet for a bus terminal with 23 bays and a two-level parking deck above.

The revival of this once-grand 20th century gem is good news for commuters - and it's good news for downtown Springfield.

We congratulate the region's leaders for pushing this project onto a faster track.